The Meaning of the Full Moon
by Mononoke-hime x sukai kurora
Summary: Mitsuki thinks about the past Chuunin Exams and the significance of the meaning of his name while on a rooftop.


This story starts the beginning of Mitsuki week! (July 24-31) I am excited to contribute this story about this amazing character!

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 _T _he Meaning of The Full Moon__

The stars blinked above him, as if a pure blanket of beauty containing silver. The sky was dark blue, the color echoing against Mitsuki's eyes as his head was titled to the scenery above him. The stars continued their trance of beauty, and it was almost as if the sounds of the metropolis and the building the young man was standing on now had disappeared, and he was in a clearing of a forest, the shadows in his mind no longer playing as his Sun and their comrades were together by the river, talking and simply enjoying themselves before the Genin Exams.

Mitsuki never truly thought about what would happen in the future. To him, the present was more important. It made no sense to him to worry about the future because the present was where the decisions were made. _Dreams…I never had one._ Dreams existed in the same area for the former Oto resident. What was the point of reaching a goal if you could not reach it, or of confessing your deepest wish for strangers to hear? Mitsuki found how the others around him amusing. He was often smiling and had a nonchalant aura around him, and he supposed that was because he knew that someday, the comrade known as Mitsuki would have to leave Konoha.

Mitsuki closed his eyes as he felt the wind caress against his cheek. It was still early spring, and the previous sunshine had fallen away to the brightness of the moon. In the battle against the Suna shinobi Shinki, Mitsuki knew that he could never reveal the extent of his abilities. Even when seeing the murderous killing intent in those previous bored eyes, the Iron Sand spear reaching his chest, Mitsuki hadn't known what to do. _Naze…boku wa…?_

 _Why am I…?_

His teammates had shouted his name, and it was then that Mitsuki knew what he had to do. It wasn't just about his parent. In truth, Mitsuki had barely registered the thought of the near-immortal Sannin. Uzumaki Boruto had been in his sights then, unobservant and ignorant of how much Mitsuki valued him. It was true that Boruto was his Sun. Mitsuki had so much to learn from the son of the Nanadaime Hokage. And Sarada too… Mitsuki could still feel the warmth of her hands that lifted him off the hospital floor. Her hands, so used to punching and battle, were gentle as she had pulled the blankets over Mitsuki's healing body. He remembered her laughter at what he said about Boruto.

A rare feeling of happiness rushed through him then, so tight and deep it almost caused him to laugh too. Mitsuki continued to feel fondness for Sarada, and Boruto. During the weeks that he was in the hospital, his two teammates visited him every day. It surprised him when Sarada had appeared in the early afternoon with sliced apples in her hands, telling him she had made the apples small so he wouldn't choke. Mitsuki couldn't comprehend the emotion he had felt when he had stared at the smiling face of his teammate, her face amused. Even now, as he thought back to those moments, Mitsuki was unaware of what those emotions were.

His golden eyes sought the moon. Mitsuki loved watching the moon late at night. The moon was such an empty space, but held much tender beauty from the moonlight. It was a pure disk in the sky, and looking at the moon reminded Mitsuki of what his parent had said to him about the full moon. Orochimaru had come to visit him shortly after he was discharged from the hospital, and his movements were unreadable. The questions that he asked about the Ōtsutsuki member that had attacked him with that strange jutsu didn't seem to satisfy him after the answers. They didn't speak as they wandered around Konoha, footsteps echoing against the ground. His parent had told him again that the sun can only guide the full moon. But, he added something different, confusing the younger.

 _"The moon does not only provide light for organisms, but also for the earth as well. Take care that you provide light in the darkness to them as well."_

Mitsuki did not attempt to understand his parent's words. He often said things that were difficult to understand. The moon had been a fixture in shinobi history since the conception of the world. Because he was the son of Orochimaru and grew up in an environment with science and learning, Mitsuki knew about the Ōtsutsuki clan and of how the moon almost crashed into the earth two years before his birth. He knew that for some, the moon reminded the _jinchuriki_ of an empty heart, for the moon's beautiful white represented a whole that could not heal.

Before the Warring States period, people had also worshiped a gods and goddess that Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had brought from her world. Eventually, the main practices and gods were forgotten, and all left were shrines and a culture that didn't remember the reason for temples or shrines. The Uchiha clan, however, kept some traditions intact. It was only through ancient texts that Mitsuki learned that a variety of the Uchiha clan's forbidden _jutsu_ had the names of ancient gods and goddess. _Tsukiyomi_ was considered the most powerful _genjutsu_ technique besides the _Tsuki no Me_ , but it also was the name of a god.

It was said that Tsukiyomi watched over lovers, and the moon was often thought to connect feelings between them.

Mitsuki knew that one day he would have to leave Konoha. He didn't know if he would be able to see Sarada complete her dream to become Hokage. Sometimes the thought of leaving Konoha, and his teammates, was so painful that his chest ached.

 _Yuuitsu no nozomi dake da._

 _I have only one dream._

 _Tsukiyomi, watch over my teammates, my sensei, when I am gone. The full moon is my namesake, so you should be able to do that, at least._


End file.
